The Metamorphosis of Publishing

ShareIn the older years of publishing, 'Scarcity' was the key word of the industry. Literary Agents and
Publicists scouted new talents and being picked by a house was the measure of success. However, literary
agents, as we knew them, are becoming creatures of the past; very few generally affordable agencies remain. An alternative
to traditional publishing, indie publishing, is gaining popularity in leaps and bounds due to its much greater
accessibility. This year, the number of non-traditional, print-on-demand books - ie. indie titles - surpasses
conventionally published titles. In fact, nearly 87% of all published titles in 2010 were put out by
non-traditional POD publishers.*

These days, the model of publishing has changed from one of scarcity to one of abundance, leading to an
increased struggle for attention among authors in print and online. From 150 000 new publications per annum in recent years,
the number of new ISBNs this year is expected to jump to 15 000 000.** Given the dwindling supply of professional representatives for writers,
it's the authors themselves who must grab the attention of their audiences and do it directly.
That shouldn't be too difficult, should it? You set-up a free
facebook page and a free blog for your book and sit back waiting for the sales to roll in, right? Not quite. With
the staggering number of indie titles published last year, not to mention the numbers to come in the near future, your
attention grabbing activities have a lot in common with millions of other authors. Posting cute kitty photos is no longer
effective unless the cat is the author. I have also noticed that social networks are becoming less and less effective
in reaching readers. We are all guilty of having a few hundred or thousand facebook friendships with other authors but
these networks rarely reach out to book buyers in a significant manner. Can you imagine a very near future in which
every indie author is connected with every other, with each one talking up a storm about his or her own title but
no one reaching out to actual readers? I can.

Just as in real life, the key to a successful online presence is having something to say that will earn
people's attention. With so many writers vying for the spotlight, the quality of an author's brand - website, blog,
interviews, and yes, in-person speaking engagements - is more than ever the key to success. Taking the time to
compose a well considered article or sharing a diverting snippet of data related to your story will do infinitely
more to attract and keep a reading audience than a generic link to your Amazon listings. So be generous. Put the
same kind of love and attention into your website updates and twitter feed as you did into your manuscript,
and keep giving your readers a reason to come back for more. Cast a wide net. Having created an engaging brand
that reflects your voice and your writing, take steps to make your title visible to anyone interested in your
subject matter and attract readers who may never have seen your name but want to read books of your genre. This is
where we can help: by optimizing your title's listing with content that makes it show up on organic searches for genre,
and brings more readers in touch with your brand.

I am a freelance graphic designer and professional artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Diploma of Graphic Applications in Desktop
Publishing. Before Substance Books, I worked as a publisher, responsible for manuscript selection and editing as well as galley and cover design. In
this capacity I also arranged for book distribution and sales relations.

When I'm not checking out new titles, I can often be found painting, hunting for great creative websites and cooking up a storm for
family and friends.

Marion Elizabet - Editor

"Hajni is very knowledgeable in her field. Give her a job and it is done right away.”."David Andrew Crawford: Dark Solus

"Substance Books is the first place an author should put
his/her publicity money. It will be well spent. Great bang for the buck."D H Brown: Honor Due, Honor Defended

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It is so nice that there are people out there one can still trust, and rely on."A. Alex Come': Killing Blue Eyes